Shell-blank-cutting machine.



No. 664,22I. Patented Dec. 18, I900.

E. |.K|DD &. G. C. WURSTER.

SHELL BLANK CUTTING MACHINE.

A uazion filed Fab. 2, 1990.

6 Shaots-8heet l.

(No Model.)

I No. 664,22I. Patented Dc. l8, I900.

' E. I. KIDD & a; c. WURSTER. SHELL BLANK CUTTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Feb 2, 1909; (No Model.) r 8 Sheets-$heet ,2,

ms uonms wzrzns 0o. margin-(non WASHINGTON. n. c

No. 664,22I. Patented Dac. l8, I900.

E. I. KIDD &. G. C. WURSTER.

SHELL BLANK CUTTING MACHlNE.

(Application filed. Feb 2, 1900.)

(No Model.) I 6 Sheots-Sheot 4.

n. c. THE NORRIS PErERs co. PHOTO-HTML) WASHINGTON.

Patented Dec. l8, I900.

R E T S R u W C G V n D D K .L

No; 664,22l.

SHELL BLANK CUTTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Feb. 2 1900.)

6 Sheets-Sheet 5 (No Model.)

No. 664,22I. Patented Dec. l8, I900. E. l. KIDD &. G. C. WURSTER.

SHELL BLANK CUTTING MACHINE (Application filed Feb. 2,. 1900 4) I (No Model.) 6 Shoots-Sheet a. j-

NITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

EDWARD I. KIDD AND GOT'ILIEB O.'WURSTER, OF PRAIRIE DU'OHIEN,

WISCONSIN.

SHELL-BLANK-CUTTING MACHINE.

- SPEOlFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,221, dated December 18, 1960.

Application filed February 2, 1900. Serial No. 35660. lllo model.)

To all whom it ntay concern.-

Be it known that we, EDWARD I. KIDD and GOTTLIEB O. WURSTER, of Prairie du Ghien, in the county of Crawford and State of Wiscousin, have invented a new and useful Im-' provement in Shell-Cutting, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

In the cutting of mother-of-pearl shells or analogous material for the manufacture of buttons or similar articles therefrom it is usual to-cut from the shell a blank of cylindrical form of the circular size of the button or article desired, which blank is cut from the shell by making a circular cut through the shell around the blank. The blank thus obtained is in many cases of considerably greater thickness than is desired for the button or article and is of such thickness as adapts it to be cutinto two or more planchets or flans of the proper thickness for a button or desired article; but heretofore no means has been found for thus dividing the blank into two thinner blanks or planchets, since the shell material is of such a friable nature that all attempts at dividing the shell by any means heretofore known have been un successful to any extent involvingindustrial value. Our invention is of means for dividing these blanks of mother-of-pearl or analogous material into thinner blanks or planchets of proper thickness for finishing, as set forth in the specification and claims herein, or the equivalents thereof.

Our invention includes the means provided by us and herein described and the equivalents thereof for dividing the shell blank into two or more thinner blanks or planchets by presenting it while being rotated to a cutting instrument, advisahly a saw, that divides the blank by cutting into it circumferentially deeper and deeper to the center or longitudinal axisof the cylindrical blank, thus dividing it by a transverse cut into two parts. Our invention includes mechanism by which this cylindrical friable shell blan k can be successfully cut without breaking or destroying the material by revolving it against a cutting implement that very gradually and carefully cuts first a slight groove entirely around the tion shown in Fig. 2.

cylindrical blank in the plane at which it is to be divided and under the continued rota tion of the blank cutting deeper and deeper into it annularly, being thus enabled to divide the blank without breaking or chipping the material of the two thinner blanks or planchets thus produced.

Our invention consists of the mechanism, its parts, and combinations of parts, as herein described and claimed, or the equivalents thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view ofour novel machine for dividing shell blanks. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same machine on line 2 2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is avertical section of the machine on line 3 3 of Fig. 1, substantially at a right angle to the see- Fig. 4 is a detail of mechanism for actuating the blank plungerchucks, the mechanism of Fig. 4 being located at the left of the machine, as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a central longitudinal section of a set of blank-holding chucks and related parts, the parts being in position had by them at the moment of introducing a blank into one of the chucks. Fig. 6 is a central longitudinal section of a set of blank-holding chucks, being substantially of the same construction shown in Fig. 5, but the parts being in the positions had during the cutting of a blank. Fig. 7 is an end view of the chuck and related parts at the left in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a cross-section of the chuck on line 8 8 of Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is an end view of the chuck and the device for reciprocating it at the right in Fig. 6. Fig. 10 illustrates a cylindrical blank of the form substantially as it exists before being divided. Fig. 11 is a top plan view of another form of the machine. Fig. 12 is a vertical section of the other form of machine on line 12 12 of Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a detail of the chuck-actuating mechanism, located at the left in Fig. 11.

From what has been hereinbefore stated it will be understood that our invention broadly includes the mechanism for dividing a shell blank by rotatingit before and against acutting-tool without limitation to any specific form of cutting tool or implement; but we preferably employ and advise the use of a saw, either a reciprocating saw, a band-saw,

or a circular saw, and of these several forms of saws we preferably employ a circular saw, and for this reason we show and describe in this specification as a specific means for cutting the shell blanka circular saw, although our invention should be understood to include any kind of saw or equivalent cuttingtool.

In the drawings, Ais a frame of suitable size and form adapting it to support the movable and operative parts of the mechanism. A circular saw 1 is provided with an arbor 2, that is journaled in the free extremity of a saw-frame 3, which saw-frame is pivoted on the driving-shaft 4 and extends upwardly therefrom. A belt 5, running on a pulley 6 on the driving-shaft 4, runs also on a pulley on the arbor 2 and rotates the saw. The shaft 4 is driven from any convenient source of power by a belt running on the pulley 7, fixed on the shaft 4. The construction permits of the swinging of the saw-frame 3 with the saw thereon limitedly to carry the saw while being rotated against a blank at one side or against blanks at both sides and a little distance from the saw to cut them in two. The machine shown in the drawings has two sets of chucks, one at each side of the saw, for holding blanks to be divided by the saw, and to accomplish this the saw in this machine is to be swung first against a blank at one side thereof and then against a blank at the other side thereof. For automatically swinging the saw to and against one blank and then in the other direction to and against the other blank and other purposes we provide a rock-shaft S, journaled on the frame, which rock-shaft is provided with a crank-arm 9, to which a rod 10 is pivoted, which rod passes through a lug 11 on the frame 3 and is secured yieldingly and adjustably thereto by springs 12 12, coiled about the rod, one between said lug l1 and a nut 13 and another between said lug 11 and a nut 14 on the rod 10. This means of connecting the rod 10 yieldingly to the frame 3 permits of the adjustment of the tension of the springs and also provides a yielding capability to the saw, so that if by reason of the hardness of the material of the blank or for other cause the saw does not cut the material quite so fast as it should it can yield a little, and thus obviate any breaking of the material that might otherwise occur. The rock-shaft 8 is provided with another crankarm 15, which is connected by a rod 16 to a crank on a shaft 17, which shaft is journaled on the frame. The shaft 17 is provided with apulley 18, connected by a belt 19 to a pulley 20 on the driving-shaft 4.

For holding and rotating a shell blank we provide a set of chucks for each blank, and in the machine of the drawings we provide two of these sets of chucks, one at each side of the saw, Fig. 1. A set of these chucks and related parts comprises a tube 21, slidable endwise in the frame, which tube is of such diameter as just exceeds the diameter of the shell blank, so as to permit of its easy reception therein, and the tube is provided with an aperture 22 in its side wall near the end for receiving the blank into the tube. In Fig. 5 a blank B is shown in the tube, havingjust been inserted therein through the aperture 22. A plunger-chuck comprising a member 23, provided with a stem 24, mounted reciproeably in the tube 21, is provided with a head 25, revoluble on the front end of the member 23, being secured thereto revolubly by a pivot-screw 26. This chuck-head 25 is conntersunk or has a recess in its face having a beveled annular wall 27, which is adapted to take against its wedging-surface the blank B and hold it therein revoluble therewith. For advancing this plunger-chuck in the tube 21, and thereby carrying the blank forward from the end of the tube'21 across the path of the saw (which is in a plane transverse to the tube 21 and adjacent to the end thereof) and into the gripping and rotating chuck oppositeandcomplementary to this plunger-chuck, an arm 28, fixed in the stem 24 and extending through a slot therefor in the tube 21, is secured to a plunger-rod 29, which has bearings reciprocably in a bracket 30, fixed on the frame, and is connected at its other extremity to a radial arm 31, projecting from a rockshaft 32, which rock-shaft is mounted on the frame and is provided with a crank-arm 33, which is connected by a rod 34 to a crank-arm 35 on the shaft 8. The rod 34: is connected to the crank-arm 33 by means of a sleeve 36, Figs. 1, 2, and 4, loose about the rod 34 and to which sleeve the furcate extremities of the arm 33 are connected by pivotpins, and springs 37 37 are coiled about the rod 34 at each side of the sleeve 36, which springs resist against collars or nuts 38 38, turning on the rod. This provides for acertain amount of yielding in the connection, which yielding capability is also transferred to the plungerchuck. A corresponding chuck, comprising the tube 21 and achuck membertherein having a stem 29, connected to an arm 31, fixed on the rock-shaft 32, is on the opposite side of the saw from the first-described plungerchuck and is adapted to be operated alternately therewith.

To withdraw the tube 21 endwise from adjacent to the opposite and complementary member of the chuck, and thereby to provide a space between the two members or sets of the chuck and thus permit of the removal of the planehets after they have been formed by sawing the blank in two, we provide means for automatically withdrawing and returning the tubes 21 21 endwise from and to their positions when a blank is being sawed, which comprise the integral arms 39 39, pivoted by a screw 40 medially on the frame, the extremities of the arms being pivoted, respectively, in the outer ends of the tubes 21 21'. Cams 41 4:1, extending laterally from the arms 39 39 at each side, respectively, of their pivotal point, are adapted severally to be contacted by the boss 42, fixed on the saw-frame The construction is such that as the saw-frame is swung in either direction the boss 42 contacts with one of the cams 4t 41 and carries the tube 21 or 21 at that side toward which the saw is swung rearwardly away from the complementary member of the chuck. This condition is shown in the position of the members of the chuck uppermost in Fig. l and also in Fig. 6. The disposition and relation of the parts are such that the tube in which the blank has been placed is drawn endwise rearwardly away from its complementary member into the position shown in Fig. 6 as the saw is swung over to the blank and during the cutting of the blank and until the saw is swung in the opposite direction. The other member of each set of the chucks comprises a shaft 43, provided with a friction-whee144. These shafts are mounted on the frame and conveniently by having a bearing in the beam or girder 45 and by a bearing in the exteriorly-screw threaded sleevebox 46, that turns by its thread in a flange of the angled girder 47. A nut 48, turning on the sleeve 46, looks the sleeve in place on the girder. The sleeve 46 bears at its inner .end against an annular shoulder on the shaft 43, and at its outer end a oap'49 is held in place against the outer end of the sleeve-box by a screw turning through the cap into the end of the shaft. By this construction the shaft may be moved and adjusted endwise with reference to bringing the end. of this member of the chuck in proper position'with relation to the saw. At its inner end the shaft 43 is provided with a detachable tubular member 50, conveniently secured to the extremity of the shaft 43 by screw-thread, Figs. 5 and 6. This tubular member is of slightly-less diameter interiorlythan the diameter of the blank to be sawed, and near its inner extremity an annular shoulder 51 is formed by cutting away the interior surface of the tubular member at the end, forming an enlarged aperture for receiving the blank. The depth of this enlarged aperture is about equal to the proposed thickness of the planchet to be cut from the blank. A segmental semicircular portion of this tubular member is cut away and is mounted on a stem pivoted mediallyin a rearwardly-extending slot therefor in the tubular member, forming a jaw 52, adapted to be swung slightly away from the circle of the tubular member, and thereby to release the blank or planchet, which is gripped by this jaw when itis swung down into position, completing the circle of the front end ofthe tubular member. The arm .53 of the jaw that extends rearwardly of the pivot is inclined away from the axis of the tubular member when the jaw is closed and is held yieldingly in this position by a spring 54, interposed between the stem of the jaw and the opposite side of the tubular member. A clutch consisting of a ring 55, about and slidable endwise on the tubular member over the jaw 52 and its stem 53, is adapted when slid to the rear of thepivot of the jaw to open the jaw, as shown in Fig. 5, and when slid in front of the pivot of the jaw, as shown in Fig. 6, to close the jaw, causing it to grip the blank B, as shown in Fig. 6. For automatically sliding the clutches 55 on the tubular chuck members 50 the furcate extremities of arms 56 are provided with pins that ride at opposite sides in annular grooves therefor in the rings 55, Fig. 7. The arms 56 are fixed on slidable rods 57, and these rods 57 are connected, respectively, to the extremities of a cross-head or oppositely-projecting arms 58 58, fixed on a rock-shaft 59, that is provided with a crank-arm 60, which at its free extremity straddles and is pivoted to a sleeve loose on and connected to a rod 61 in the same manner that the sleeve 36 is connected to the rod 34, as shown in Fig. 4. The rod 61 at its other extremity is connected to a crank-arm 62, fixed on the shaft 8.

The construction and relation of the parts are such that the jaws 52 of the chuck 50 are closed and opened by the rocking of the shaft 8 at the proper times for clutching the blanks immediately before and releasing them im-.

mediately after the saw has been applied thereto.

For rotating the chuck member 50 a friction-wheel 63, mounted in the free extremity of a swinging frame 64, is providedwith a band-pulley 65, on which the band 66 runs,

which band also runs on the pulley 67 on the shaft 4, on which shaft the frame 64 is hinged. The friction-wheel 63 is adapted to be swung alternately against the friction-wheels 44 44, and thereby to rotate the clutch members 50 severally when in contact therewith.

For automatically putting the frictionwheel 63 alternately into contact with the wheels 44 44 a rod 68, Figs. 1 and 2, is connected to the frame 64 in the same manner that rod 10 is connected to the frame 3, Fig. 3, and at its other extremity the rod 68 is pivoted to an arm 69 on the rock-shaft S. The construction and relation of the parts are such that the friction-wheel 63 is put into contact with the wheel 44just prior to and during the time that the sawis cutting the blank, wherelIO by the chuck member 50, the blank, and the head 25 of the other chuck member are rotated during the time of the cutting of the blank.

The material of some shells is exceedingly friable and liable to break under contact with a saw running at otherwise sufficient speed, and to enable us to increase the speed of the saw for cutting such excessively-friable material we provide a short counter-shaft 70, mounted in the swinging frame 3, which shaft is provided with a small belt-pulley 71, and from this belt-pulley 71 we run a belt onto the pulley 6, which pulley for this purpose must be moved from the position in which it is shown on the shaft4to aposition opposite the pulley 71. Then from the large pulley 72 on the shaft we run a belt corresponding to the belt 5 on the pulley on the arbor of the saw 1. This enables us to increase the speed of the saw to any extent desired.

In the form of machine shown in Figs. 11, 12, and 13 the arbor of the saw 1 is mounted in bearings in fixed position on the frame A. The saw is rotated by means of the belt 5, running on a small pulley on the arbor and also on the large pulley 6 on the driving-shaft 4. The chucks for holding the blanks While being sawed asunder are mounted on an auxiliary frame 73, slidable on the main frame A toward and from the edge of the saw. For mounting the frame 73 slidably on the main frame the frame 73 is provided with bearings 74 74, that rest slidably on rods 75, fixed on the main frame. For automatically reciprocating the frame 73 on the main frame rods 76 76 connect the lugs 77 77 on the auxiliary frame to crank-arms 78 78 on the rock-shaft S,which rock-shaft is actuated by the cranked shaft 17, to which the rock-shaft is connected by the rod 16, pivoted to the crank-arm 15 on rock-shaft S and to the crank of the shaft 17. The shaft 17 is driven by the belt 19, running 011 the driving-shaft 4. The rod 76 is connected to the crank-arm 78 by means of a sleeve 79, loose on the rod 76, to which sleeve the furcate extremity of the arm 78 is pivoted, springs 80 being coiled about the rod 76 between nut-collars thereon and the sleeve 79, the construction being substantially the same as that shown in Fig. 4.

The chuck members 21 21 are mounted slidably endwise in the auxiliary frame, and the arms 39 39 connecting these members are pivoted medially on the auxiliary frame and are provided with the cams 41 41, that are so disposed as to contact with and be actuated by the boss 42, substantially as in the other form of construction, (see Fig. 1,) the difference being that in this case the boss 42 is stationary on the main frame and the cams 41 41 contact and are actuated by being moved with the auxiliary frame against the boss. The plunger-chucks in the tubular members 21 21 are like those in the corresponding tubular members in the other form of machine, and these are provided like those with stems 29 29', pivoted to arms 31 31, fixed on arockshaft 32, Fig. 13, provided with a crank-arm 33, which arm is pivoted to a rod 34, the other extremity of which rod 34 is secured to the main frame. The rock-shaft 32 is mounted on the auxiliary frame 73 conveniently by means of a bracket 81, secured to a member of the frame. The connection of the arm 33 with the rod 34 is by means of a sleeve 36 and springs the same as in the other form of construction. (See Fig. 4.)

The sliding of the auxiliary frame on the main frame oscillates the shaft 32 and corre spondingl y reciprocates the plunger-chucksin the tubular members 21 21. The other members 5O 50 of the sets of the chucks, with their jaws 52 52, and the clutch-rings 55 55 on the shafts 43 are of the same form and construction as thosein the other form of machine and are mounted in the auxiliary frame 73, substantially as the same devices are mounted in the main frame of the other form of machine. These shafts 43 are provided with friction wheels 44 44, adapted to be moved into frictional contact with the wheel 63, which is axled in bearings therefor fixed on the main frame. The pulley 65 is rigid to the wheel 63,and the belt 66,running thereon, drives the wheel 63 in the same manner as in the other form of machine. The devices for operating the clutch-rings 55, comprising arms 56, rods 57, arms 58, rock-shaft 59, crank-arms 60, and the rod 61 and their connections, are substantially the same as in the other form of machine, except that the rod 61 is connected, and thereby anchored to the frame A.

Screws 82 turning in the main frame opposite to and in the path of the swinging frame 3 are adapted to limit adjustably the movement of the saw 1 toward the location of blanks in the holding-chucks.

What we claim as our invention is- 1. In combination, rotatable tubular or hollowed chucks in sets opposite each other axially, the chucks together being adapted to receive therein to clamp upon and hold a blank between them and to rotate it therewith, a cutting-tool, and means for bringing that part of the rotating blank between the sets of chucks and the cutting-tool into contact with each other.

2. In combination, a tubular chuck member, a plunger-chuck having arotatable head in the tubular member, a complementary chuck member having means adapted to grip a shell blank, means for rotating the blankgripping chuck member, a cuttingtool, and means adapted to bring the blank in the chucks and the cutting-tool into contact with each other.

3. In combination,a tubular chuck member provided with a side aperture for receiving a blank, a plunger-chuck reciprocable in the tubular member,the plunger-chuck being pro vided with a rotatable head having means for engaginga blank, means for reciprocating the plunger-chuck, a complementary chuck member provided with a swinging jaw adapted to grip a blank in the chuck member and hold it up to the revoluble head of the adjacent chuck member, means for rotating the gripping chuck member, a cutting-tool, and means to bring a blank held in the set of chucks and the cutting-tool into contact with each other.

4. In combination, a chuck provided with a revoluble head having blank-receiving conformation, a complementary chuck comprising a revoluble shaft, a tubular terminal projecting sleeve axially opposite the other chuck, a segmental jaw provided with a stem pivoted in and forming a part of the wall of the sleeve, a spring adapted to close the jaw, and a ring slidable on the sleeve adapted to open the jaw against the action of the spring and to close and lock the jaw closed.

5. In combination, a reciprocable tubular chuck member, a reciprocable plunger-chuck mounted in the tubular member and provided with a revoluble head, an oppositecomplementary chuck member provided with means for gripping a blank and with means for rota'ting the member, and means for adjusting the gripping chuck member endwise toward and from the plunger-chuck and its tube.

6. In combination with a cutting-tool presenting oppositely-disposed cutting edges and means for shifting the cutting-tool laterally in the direction of its plane, of two sets of rotatable chucks severally located at opposite sides of the cutting-tool, each set of chucks comprising two tubular or hollowed chuck members axially opposite each other adapted to receive therein and hold cylindrical blanks between them, and means for clamping the members of each set of chucks upon-the blank and holding it to rotation therewith, the cutting-tool being disposed to engage respectively with and sever the blanks between themembers of the sets of chucks.

7. In combination, an endwise-slidabletubularchuck member, an arm 39 pivoted to the tubular member and to a relatively nonmovable support, a cam on the arm, a complementary boss or bearing, and means for causing the boss and cam to contact movably forcibly thereby sliding the tubular member,

8. In combination, two endwise-slidable tubular chuck members at a distance apart, rigidly-connected arms 39 39 pivoted respectively to and connecting the slidable tubular members, said arms being pivoted medially on a relatively non-movable support, cams on the arms one at each side of the pivot, a boss.

or bearing adapted by the movement relativelyof the boss or cams to be brought into movable contact, and means for bringing the boss into contact with the cams alternately.

9. In combination, a reciprocable plungerchuck, a rock-shaft, aradial arm thereon connected to the plunger-chuck, a crank-arm on the rock-shaft, a rod connected to the crankarm, and means for shifting the connectingrod and the rock-shaft relatively whereby the plunger-chuck is reciprocated.

10. In combination, a plurality of reciprocable plunger-chucks at a distance apart, a rock-shaft, radial arms on the rock-shaft connected respectively to the plunger-chucks, a crank-arm on the rock-shaft, a rod connected yieldingly to the crank-arm, and means for shifting the connecting-rod and the rock-shaft relatively whereby the plunger-chucks are reciprocated.

11. Ayielding connection between a crankarm and a connecting-rod, comprising, the crank-arm provided with furcate members, the connecting-rod, a sleeve loose on the rod,

pins in the fu rcate members of the crank-arm pivoting them to the sleeve, and springs coiled about the rod at both ends of the sleeve and between the sleeve and collars on the rod.

12. In combination, a rotatable chuck member provided with a friction-wheel, a shaft provided with a friction-wheel adjacent to and opposite the friction-wheel on the chuck member, means for rotating the shaft, and means for bringing the two whee'ls into frictional contact.

13. In combination,a terminal sleeve chuck member provided with a jaw having a stem pivoted in the sleeve member, a clutch-ring slidable on the sleeve member and adapted to open and to close the jaw, a rock-shaft 59 provided with a radial arm, means connecting the radial arm to the slidable clutch-ring, another rock-shaft 8, a rod connecting crankarms on the two rock-shafts, and means for oscillating the last-enumerated rock-shaft.

14. In combination, two revoluble chuck members each provided with a gripping-jaw,

slidable clutches adapted to control the jaws,

a rock-shaft 59 provided with oppositely-extending radial arms connected to the slidable clutch-rings, another rock-shaft 8, a rod connecting crank-arms on the two rock-shafts, a

driven cranked shaft 17, and a rod connecting a crank-arm on the last-enumerated rockshaft to the crank of the cranked shaft.

15. In combination, two rotatable chuck members having gripping devices, means for opening one gripping device and closing the other gripping device concurrently, two opposite complementary tubular chuck members slidable endwise toward and from. the gripping chuck members, and means adapted to slide one of said tubular chuck members toward a gripping chuck member just before the jaw of the gripping member closes and to withdraw the other tubular chuck member from the complementary gripping chuck member concurrently.

16. In combination, two rotatable chuck members having gripping devices, means for opening one of the gripping devices and closing the other gripping device concurrently, two opposite complementary tubular chuck members slidable endwise toward and from the gripping chuck members, means adapted to slide a tubular chuck member toward a gripping chuck member just before the jaw of the gripping member closes and to withdraw it from the gripping chuck member directly after the jaw closes, slidable chuck members with rotatable heads in the tubular chuck members, and means connected to and S. N. BISBEE, A. KIESER. 

